AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said that if offering namaz on roads is not acceptable, then the same should be applied to other religions as well. The remarks come following the series of incidents of alleged attacks against Muslims across the country.
Addressing a gathering at AIMIM headquarters, he said that there have been attempts to marginalize Muslims and reduce them to “second-class citizens.”
Moving further, Owaisi referred to the current fuel price hike ahead of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and questioned why the benefit was not passed on to consumers. He said that even Indian companies reportedly made billions of dollars in profits from Russian oil imports.
“Remember Article 25. If offering namaz on roads is wrong, then festivals of every religion on roads are also wrong. If you say meat shops should be closed during someone’s festival, then all liquor shops should be closed for 30 days during Ramzan,” he claimed.
He questioned why there were no concerns about religious yatras from Uttarakhand to Delhi when roads are allegedly blocked.
“How long does namaz on roads take when it happens?” he said.
He further claimed that the sale of eggs, meat, and chicken is restricted during Hindu festivals.
Owasi alleged that TV channels note issues such as Muslims offering namaz on roads and ignore the issues like “the anguish of parents over the NEET paper leak.”
Furthermore, he asserted that India belongs to Muslims as well and said that they would continue their fight for their issues in a democratic manner.
“How can you snatch away my religious freedom?” he asked.
Meanwhile, speaking about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, he raised questions on why principles of Hindu marriage are being imposed on Muslims.
He alleged that non-vegetarian food consumption by Muslims is being portrayed negatively and claimed that the Sangh Parivar aims to promote vegetarianism across the country.
Owaisi also said that Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’ talks about meat consumption and quoted Swami Vivekananda and said he had talked about beef consumption in ancient Hindu ceremonies.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Imran Masood said to PTI, “Namaz was, anyway, not supposed to be offered on the roads. Some people are unnecessarily creating a spectacle. Muslims are following the restrictions and complying with the rules imposed on them. However, they are creating unnecessary drama because their agenda is failing.”
Chief Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi of the All India Imam Organization said to IANS, “I believe that namaz should not be performed on the roads. Namaz is a form of worship that takes place between God and His servant. It is obligatory upon every Muslim, but namaz has its rules. Five times a day, namaz is obligatory upon every Muslim; therefore, it is necessary to take care of each namaz, and the place for it must be clean. The second rule is that permission for the place must be obtained; taking its consent is essential. Whether it is government land or any private property, if it belongs to someone, seeking permission from them is mandatory. So when the government of India and the state governments have decided that namaz will not be held on roads and there is no permission from the government, then such namaz is absolutely incorrect. Namaz is a mandatory duty, so it should be performed only inside mosques…”
